Can Free Speech And Inclusion Be Reconciled?
Freedom of expression is a core value of the United States and other democratic countries. Yet in recent years, free speech has become a site of intense conflict when it intersects with issues of diversity and inclusion. Such clashes can be seen in discussions about safe spaces on university campuses, race and LGBTQ+ education in K-12 schools, and hate speech regulation on social media.
Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America and author of Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All, argues that we need not choose between protecting free speech and advancing diversity and inclusion. But how can these values be reconciled? What should governments, tech companies, and educational institutions do when free speech threatens feelings of inclusion among marginalized people? When does protesting cross the line into censorship? In an era of book bans and heightened political polarization, finding answers to these questions is as important as ever.
Join Suzanne Nossel for a wide-ranging conversation on these topics with Professor Kenji Yoshino, Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law and director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
This event is cosponsored by the Birnbaum Women's Leadership Network at NYU School of Law.
The Speaker Series is sponsored by:
Corporates:
• Microsoft
• Morgan Stanley
• Thomson Reuters
Law Firms:
• Davis Polk & Wardwell
• DLA Piper
• Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
• Latham & Watkins
• Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
• Sullivan & Cromwell
• Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges
• White & Case
Public Interest Organizations:
• Black Theatre United
• Catalyst
• Coqual
• Earthjustice
• Legal Defense Fund (LDF)
• Out Leadership
**Note on Accessibility: This virtual event requires an Internet connection and computer or smartphone. All audio will be Closed Captioned. For any questions, please email shirley.dang@nyu.edu at least 72 hours prior to the event.**